Chương 884: Disappearance of the Eternal Trial Domain.

Flor was looking at the Explorer Association guildmaster with a blank look.

"Excuse me, can you repeat it? I believe I've misheard." Arven glanced at Flor's expression and smiled bitterly. He had been doing the exact same one a few hours ago when the report reached him.

"The <Eternal Trial Domain> dungeon has closed all portals except the golden one." Flor placed a hand on her forehead as a throbbing headache crashed down on her.

'The core Dungeon of our Empire has disappeared?' <Eternal Trial Domain> was not only a place to forge peak talents but also to face difficult trials that helped absolutely everyone. The rewards were incredibly sweet. In the Eternal Trial Domain, they all gained <Eternity> attribute materials as Quest rewards, and then these could be exchanged in the <Eternity Shop> for <Eternal Points>. Then, with these points, people could select equipment suitable for them.

In terms of reward quality, it was lower than a normal Dungeon. However, the advantage of this <Dungeon> was that you could accumulate points slowly over several rounds and eventually cash in something that was perfectly suited for your skill set. Many times in Dungeons did people receive a vest that didn't suit their attributes, or a weapon that leaned toward elements you didn't have affinity for.

In short, the <Eternal Trial Domain> sacrificed reward quality, making it harder to obtain equipment, but in return, it gave the trial taker the choice to obtain a suitable piece of equipment. It was also the source of <Eternity> materials Liu Shu received and stored in a secret compartment inside her <Lignified Treasure Vault>. These materials were used only for those with sufficient trust to be granted all <Chaos> titles. It was also a reward obtainable when visiting Apothea. This wasn't all.

Most of the training programs to train talents and the highest-level institutions in the Golden Sap Empire used this same <Dungeon> for many courses. It was the cornerstone of all <Dungeons> in the Golden Sap Empire and affected ALL economic sectors.

"... And you are saying that it has closed?" Dungeons could close. It was not a secret. However, they closed when either they weren't used or too many people abused entry and cleared them. In a way, they were "rechargeable" resources. Meaning they could run out, but if managed properly, they could be considered renewable resources. Arven sighed.

"There weren't signs. It was as if something had forcefully closed it, spitting out everyone inside." Flor grumbled.

"At least it didn't trap those inside together with its disappearance." There were such cases registered before, in which a Dungeon would close and trap everyone inside. So the fact that everyone inside was thrown out before it closed could be considered a blessing. Arven sat down and sighed.

"We were a bit too dependent on that miracle-like Dungeon. Its appearance was most likely due to a <Feat> Liu Shu achieved. The Dungeon now has either closed or…"

"Or?" Flor blinked.

"There is something that could've happened that it wasn't the Dungeon closing?" Arven placed some historical registries from when Wert was the leader and spoke.

"It might've closed to evolve. It happened back then, didn't it? Many, if not all, Dungeons closed and then resurfaced with the new <Atemporal> modifier. It happened alongside Liu Shu's major breakthrough. So, if we are lucky, this might be the same thing." Flor's eyes suddenly flashed.

'Didn't baby have a major breakthrough before the war happened? I recall she reached SS- Tier back then, right?' Thinking up to this point, Flor began thinking in earnest. This <Dungeon> was, no matter how Flor looked at it, deeply linked to Liu Shu. The golden portal even connected to a <Dungeon> where they could gather Liu Shu's berries as a reward, and all Dungeon Instances were trials to protect a World Tree in the face of a grand evil.

"You might not be wrong. Liu Shu did have a large breakthrough not long ago." Arven was not as deeply informed as Flor, so he was unaware.

"Did she? If so, this might be a blessing disguised as a calamity." A small smile appeared on Flor's lips after her heart calmed down.

"A calamity. You are exaggerating."

"Am I?" Arven also leaned back, much of his tension gone.

"The <Eternal Trial Domain> is a Dungeon that has caught the attention of higher-ups in the Explorer Association. I heard that even one of the Explorer Association Guildmasters in a Nebula Rank Power praised it." This was not news to Flor. Arven was loyal to both the Golden Sap Empire and the Explorer Association. He acted as the perfect link, not favoring either side, but also not ignoring them either. Therefore, both sides were incredibly pleased with him.

When information as important as what Arven just mentioned came, Arven would inform Flor without needing to be prompted. At the same time, Arven would inform Flor of the specialness of Golden Sap Empire's Dungeons to the Explorer Association central branches without hiding much, if anything. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Flor hummed and asked, curious.

"Will the Explorer Association intervene at any point?" Arven smiled.

"You ask this every few years, don't you?" Flor sighed and looked at him.

"You know I am worried. The Explorer Association is a behemoth much larger than I initially could even imagine. You told me their main branch is in the center area of the Galaxy. That's where the true powerhouses of our Galaxy reside, and yet they have a high standing even there as a neutral force? For us now, they are insurmountable giants." Arven calmed Flor down.

"Don't worry. As you've said, they are a neutral force. As much as they are powerful, they are also strongly supervised by others. A neutral force going rogue is much more dangerous than known enemies. The Skill Merchants are a good example of a Neutral Force going rogue and having everyone gang up on them to suppress them." His words made perfect sense, so Flor let go of most of her worries. Completely ignoring them would be irresponsible, but at least the occasional reassurance from Arven calmed her down.

"I really hope you are right." Arven finished reporting the urgent news and was about to leave when he recalled something.

"By the way, I heard you are making contact with Sarlos?" Flor corrected.

"Not me, Liu Shu." This was far too important not to have Liu Shu involved. For most things, Liu Shu was just an observer and invisible judge, but this time, she would step down into the participant role. Arven nodded.

"I see. Then some advice from me. I heard somewhere that Sarlos is trustworthy, but if you relax, he can devour you in a single bite. So, tell Liu Shu to make sure the deal doesn't have too many loopholes, if any." This information most likely came from the Explorer database, so Flor smiled gratefully.

"Thank you. Having a glimpse is better than going in blind." After Arven nodded and left, Flor sank down in thought.

"Let's see… First, we need to create a temporary fund to support every business that will be affected by the <Eternal Trial Domain>'s disappearance. Usually, I wouldn't meddle, but the <Eternal Trial Domain> will most likely return. I will give it 50 years or so. If after that time it doesn't return, or if the golden portal disappears, I will give up on it." 50 years of funds was not a light expense, especially when it came to such a large industry.

Even then, there were far too many useful businesses, operations, and institutions centered around that Dungeon to give them all up.

"It will be a bit of a shame that some people will lose education time. But they can be given priority when it comes back and help them. Still, if someone is as fragile as to collapse just because the dungeon is gone, that's not something I must help with." One thing was giving some help to cover some profit loss and help them stabilize during this difficult time. The other was completely replacing their finances and forcing the sinking business afloat with government money.

Dungeons were not a permanent resource most of the time, so investing everything into one and hoping that you'd be helped when it suddenly vanished was unreasonable. Flor made the rightful distinction there.

"As for Sarlos's matter. I will just create a small document and have Liu Shu eat it." Her fingers moved fast on the keyboard, and in ten minutes, a document was created. Flor added the Dungeon's disappearance as well and a summary of her plans. Then, she printed it with a single click and flapped her wings to the side. After she picked up the three pages, she spoke softly.

"Liu Shu, love, eat this." A root moved and opened, chomping down the documents and retreating back into the wall. Meanwhile, Liu Shu, who was buried in her workshop while practicing with her new rune, array, and woodcrafting knowledge, suddenly felt a piece of information appear in her mind.

"Hm…? Ah, they spoke about it already. Let's see… This is good enough; no need to intervene. If the Golden Sap Empire collapses because one <Dungeon> disappears, I have raised my people wrong." So, Liu Shu gave Flor a brief acknowledgment.

"It looks good. Good luck, Mom!" Flor smiled and went to work. Soon, many specialists in economics, politics, and other sectors were assigned duties and began organizing everything efficiently. Liu Shu briefly glanced at everything and smiled.

"A centralized government has advantages because talent gathers in one point and works together… The disadvantage is that edge territory is prone to rebellions." The biggest difference between a centralized government and a more decentralized command structure was that those at the edges would feel slightly more alienated. In the long run, it could cause a rebellion targeting that center out of pure spite or jealousy, or for legitimate reasons like neglect.

The advantage was that corruption was harder to spread, and if the leadership kept their heads straight, everything would function like a properly oiled machine. As for a decentralized government, corruption was likely to run rampant. With far too much power spread out, resources could get easily embezzled, local governors could get ahead of themselves and abuse power as local tyrants, and the central government could lose tons of influence.

The advantage, though, was a much more independent structure that didn't need much influence from the center. Local powers could, as long as they were not deeply corrupt, function without much input.

'The disadvantage of the central government disappears thanks to my ever-present presence. So it is much more suitable. Neglecting the edges of the territory won't happen because, at any point, I can glance over and see how they are doing and influence the central government.' That was the absolute advantage an Arborarchy like the Golden Sap Empire had. If Liu Shu was not corrupted, she would be able to correct most things that idealized governing considered "utopia-like" and unattainable.

Of course, if Liu Shu ever became detached, the chances of normal governmental problems arising would increase and perhaps even go beyond those of a normally growing empire.

"Hm… Quite a lot of time has passed. I should reveal the new Biological Computer hardware and also make sure to print the new Runic Array and Woodcrafting knowledge I've gathered. Creating non-combat spacecraft will be easier that way." Not everything needed to be living structures. Some practical non-combat spacecraft that carried resources and such needed to be built en masse for the many businesses that would soon do interstellar trade.

So, some non-living spacecraft were needed, and Liu Shu was about to print an entire course dedicated to it. That day, the many erudites living near the Endless Library wailed at the massive amount of knowledge that was being updated in real time. It seemed they would need to hold closed-door study sessions for a long time to keep their knowledge up to date.